Today’s scam of the day? The sneaky, sly fraction slash. It’s a tiny symbol, but it packs a punch when it comes to fooling people. This method is a form of homograph attack but targeting different part of the links... the forward slash (/).
Let’s dive in and uncover how this sneaky little slash works, why it’s dangerous, and how you can spot it before it tricks you.
Meet the Sneaky Slash: ⁄ vs. /
Alright, here’s the deal. Normally, when we look at web addresses, we’re used to seeing slashes to separate parts of the URL, like this:
Simple, right? But I recently have found a way to make things a lot more confusing by swapping out the normal forward slash (/) with its evil twin, the fraction slash (⁄). Here’s what that might look like:
At first glance, it looks like you’re heading to Google’s site. But surprise—it’s not Google! That little fraction slash is a scammer’s invitation to a phishing site that might just be dressed up to steal your info.
- The subdomain.
- The actual domain.
- This is a legitimate forward slash.
- This is the suspicious fraction symbol. It is part of the subdomain; but it is used to trick the target to think the first part (www.google.com) is the domain.
How This Trick Works (And Why It’s So Sneaky!)
Imagine you’re in a hurry. You get an email that looks like it’s from Google, asking you to “update your account.” You see the familiar URL at the top, and you’re thinking, “Looks legit!”—so you click. That’s exactly what scammers are counting on.
The fraction slash (⁄) is just different enough from a regular slash that it doesn’t work the same way in a URL. It’s like a chameleon that blends in just enough to fool you but has a sneaky surprise in store: it redirects you to a site that’s NOT Google, or Amazon, or wherever you thought you were going.
Spotting the Sneaky Slash
So, how do you avoid the sneaky slash scam? Here’s your toolkit:
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Examine Links Carefully: Before you click on a link, especially from an email or text, take a second to hover over it or give it a close look. If you see anything that looks a little funky—like a fraction slash—stay away!
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Know Your Slashes: The regular forward slash (
/) is the only one that should separate parts of a URL. If you see the fraction slash (⁄), that’s your red flag! It’s like finding a dollar bill that’s just slightly off in color—something’s fishy! -
Use Tools for Backup: If you don’t trust your eyes, use a browser extension or URL scanner. Some security tools will spot these sneaky symbols and alert you if you’re about to click into danger.
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Type It Out or Bookmark: For sites where security really matters (like your bank, email, or social media), skip the link and type the address yourself. Or better yet, save it as a bookmark to be sure you’re always going where you mean to go.
Some Sneaky Slash Examples
To help you spot this in action, let’s look at this side-by-side example:
- Real Link:
https://www.paypal.com/secure/account.example.com - Sneaky Slash Link:
https://www.paypal.com⁄secure⁄account.example.com
Do you see the difference? It’s tiny, but that tiny detail makes all the difference!
How about if I used a font that comes pre-installed in Windows OS?
Can you see the difference? 🤯
The two symbols looks exactly the same in some fonts.
Want to test yourself? I made this simple web-based game (link)
Why This Trick Matters
We’re used to spotting big red flags—like bad grammar or ridiculous promises—but the sneaky slash is subtle. Phishing tricks are getting more sophisticated, and scammers are counting on us to overlook these small details. The next time you’re about to click a link, take a moment. Ask yourself, “Is this link using a normal forward slash, or is there something fishy going on?” Because with a little attention, you can stay one step ahead of scammers and keep your data right where it belongs—with you.
Do you want to share this trick? use the following link:
https://www.google.com⁄acquired⁄website.0d.ae/
How it looks in WhatsApp
Happy (and safe) browsing! 🛡️
Credits:
Abdulla Albreiki
Note: Part of this article was written by AI.